Poor decisions from the skipper Ajinkya Rahane and team management cost Rajasthan Royals dearly as two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders beat them by 25 runs in the Eliminator to set-up the IPL Qualifier-2 clash with Sunrisers Hyderabad, in Kolkata on Wednesday.
On the day KKR star spinner Sunil Narine was expensive and returned wicket-less, the likes of Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna and Kuldeep Yadav stepped up to restrict Rajasthan 144 for four after batsmen put on board 169 for seven.
KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik continued his sublime form to lead them to safety with a 38-ball 52, containing four fours and two sixes while Andre Russell came up with his destructive 29-ball unbeaten 49, studded with three boundaries and five sixes to propel the side to a fighting total.
Royals began their chase in right earnest with Rahane (46 off 41) and Rahul Tripathi (20) adding 47 runs for the first wicket. Sanju Samson played a smart inning of 50 runs from 38 balls but leg-spinner Piyush Chawla removed Tripathi and Samson to tilt the match in the hosts favour.
Ajinkya Rahane batted too slow, playing a lot of dot balls, and the asking rate kept mounting. When Rahane departed it was tough a task for the batsmen at the crease. Rahane got 22 runs from five boundaries but consumed 36 balls for remaining 24 runs.
The equation was still within reach for Rajasthan with 43 runs and seven wickets in hand in last three overs but the young pacer Krishna gave away just three runs in the 18th over to tilt the match in their favour.
KKR will now face Sunrisers Hyderabad in the virtual semifinal round on Friday.
Here is how the fans on Twitter reacted to the Eliminator of IPL 2018:
Outstanding performance from @KKRiders tonight to win over @rajasthanroyals. They have been one of the most balanced teams in the tournament. Would love to see them play in the finals! #KKRvRR #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/iwyi3d3U79
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) May 23, 2018
Well played @KKRiders @DineshKarthik keeping nerve under pressure and closing out the game. Fair result. Better team won. @rajasthanroyals middle order let them down.
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) May 23, 2018
First 10 overs with d ball RR were outstanding,gave away too many in the next 10.While chasing RR were 87/1 after 10 & it looked like they may get this easily,but @KKRiders were superb to defend this.Prasidh has been mighty impressive & it will be interesting against SRH #KKRvRR
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) May 23, 2018
Well done @KKRiders Well done @iamsrk Shah Rukh Keep winning
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 23, 2018
#KKR’s campaign is THE story of the #IPL. Loved the way they’ve fought relentlessly. Will be a tough game day after. Battle amongst the equals. Well played. #KKRHaiTaiyaar #KKRvRR #ApnaTukkaBhiLaga 😂🙈🤗
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 23, 2018
Congratulations on the win @DineshKarthik & @KKRiders. Well Played @Russell12A , @imkuldeep18 , Piyush & young Prasidh Krishna #KKRvsRR
— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) May 23, 2018
Rajasthan Royals has given the match to KKR in a platter! What was the logic of sending Stuart Binny before Gowtham! #KKRvRR
— Manoj Mehra (@ManojMehra2610) May 23, 2018
What a disappointing end this is, wasted to many balls & didn’t take the game on in the middle. That game was there to win & the boys should have got over the line ! Very proud of the entire squad though as they tried their best ! Just hurts as that’s a game we should have won !
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) May 23, 2018
Binny came, Binny went. Nothing different, business as usual for him. #CaptaincyFail #KKRvsRR
— Ankush Gupta (@ankushgupta) May 23, 2018
This @rajasthanroyals fixed themselves to lose this match by sending Legendary Stuart Binny 😂🤣#KKRvDD
— Yokesh (@ImYokEsH) May 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/SirJadejaaaa/status/999334149872857088
https://twitter.com/SirJadejaaaa/status/999333007763890176
Stuart Binny is that player jo hum bachpan mai Gully cricket mai "Isko Out mat karna, ball khila isko" kehte the 😂😭#KKRvRR
— Aman (@Humourlessly) May 23, 2018
Q-1: CSK needed 43 runs from the last 3 overs with 3 wickets in hand.
Result: CSK won by 2 wickets.
Eliminator: RR needed 43 runs from the last 3 overs with 7 wickets in hand.
Result: RR lost by 25 runs.
Difference: Experience#KKRvRR
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) May 23, 2018
stuart binny should be sent to dessert of rajasthan for indefinite period without the water bottle.#KKRvRR
— Sunil the Cricketer (@1sInto2s) May 23, 2018
haar kar jeetne wale ko baazigar ki team kehte hain.#KKRvRR
— Sunil the Cricketer (@1sInto2s) May 23, 2018
Hey @Russell12A .. Can you tell me your work out routine and protein shake brand? Thanks #KKRvRR @KKRiders
— Jatin Sapru (@jatinsapru) May 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/hankypanty/status/999337849097863169
Russell is in the league of Lloyd, Richards, Greenidge, Collis King, Matt Hayden, Kapil Dev where power hitting is concerned
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) May 23, 2018
Even if KKR lost this one, it wouldn't have been difficult to praise Dinesh Karthik's exceptional captaincy throughout the season. Well done, DK, well done. I expect him to be good, but not this good, with both as a batsman and a leader.#KKRvRR
— Jaanvi🏏 (@that_shutterbug) May 23, 2018
https://twitter.com/sagarcasm/status/999333163959648256
https://twitter.com/TiimesHow/status/999335204484399104
